Almost through my first whole week of living alone! It’s very odd, cooking three hot meals per day instead of just one. I’ve done it before — at university — but that was six years ago! The atrophied muscles are returning to strength… but it’s still very challenging (especially in such a small space).

I don’t have a whole lot to share as I’ve been working 8 to 5, but I do have this video, which I shot earlier today, just as the clouds were clearing:

As you can see (hear) it was still rather blustery (you may want to turn your volume down). You will note that I sound very British. It’s perfect outside now. I should go and take some more photos. The sky is a beautiful blue, and the ocean is an even prettier, darker shade.

Other than that… I had a nice dinner out last night — had lobster for the first time (in a quesadilla!) and also baby back ribs (for the first time). Why are they called baby back ribs? Reminds me of this roleplaying game (Call of Cthulu) where I ate a baby — but I’m sure they’re nothing to do with that. The lobster was nice, but hardly mindblowing. I remain of the opinion that vegetables are better than meat, if only for the sake of variety.

Oh, I saw a gay movie (“Weekend“) the other day, in Asbury Park — which is, from what I can tell, the gay capital of America’s east coast (San Francisco being its antipode). I think I was the only straight guy in the cinema (it was an independent thing — only 56 chairs), but I’m glad to say that my concerns turned out to be completely unfounded. Deep down, though, I kind of wish that the guy next to me had asked me to reach into his bag of popcorn. Just as a story to tell the grand children, you understand.

To finish, another photo, taken after the gay movie. (Click to enlarge.)

Your “English” accent just made you sound more American, like an American doing a comical imitation of an English accent. Lovely.

As for the name for that wall of rocks… A “breakwater”, perhaps? Or, if you want to go there, the ones extending out from land like that are sometimes called “groins.” Probably have other names as well.

First taste of lobster…in a quesadilla?! As a New Englander, I have to say that’s an abomination. Boil it, dip it in melted butter if you will, but don’t put it in a quesadilla. I understand not everyone loves it, but it’s a distinctive taste, not to mention a fun experience cracking it open.

Wikitravel lists Ocean Grove, NJ as one of two dozen “Queer friendly destinations” in the U.S. I noticed a couple other seaside towns I’ve been to on the list (Provincetown, Mass.; Ogunquit, Maine). Nice.

Eleni — I know, my British accent was truly awful. The sad thing is that I’d been practicing my British accent before I pressed record… but as soon as I started filming, my accent just fell to pieces I don’t know why. Stage fright, I guess.

I need to look up the derivation on ‘groins’ (groynes in English)… it can’t be THAT obvious… surely… And yeah, Ocean Grove and Asbury Park are both pretty gay, but Ocean Grove is very religious too — odd combo. Eastern catholicism vs. deep south, I guess.

I think cracking a lobster open is something that I’m not quite ready for, alas. I may order it if I see it on the menu when I’m next out and about, though… maybe I can get a waitress to crack it open for me.

Mum — there’s nothing on the sea front here in Ocean Grove, but just up the boardwalk in Asbury Park there’s quite a lot of stuff by the sea. Restaurants, crepe and ice cream huts, that kind of thing

Lobsters aren’t too hard. I think they’re a lot less frustrating than crabs–more meat for less effort. And I’m sure you can find a good YouTube tutorial or something.

As for groynes, etymonline.com suggests ’1580s, perhaps from obsolete groin “pig’s snout” (c.1300; the wall so called because it was thought to look like one), from O.Fr. groin, from L. grunnire “grunt.”‘ But nothing too certain.